


Morning Glow

by mariquita_gatanegra



Category: Lifeline (Video Game 2015)
Genre: Gen, Nightmares, PTSD, Taylor is safe and happy and nothing is wrong, Taylor's cat Captain Cuddles, all characters have no specified gender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 19:02:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9338768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariquita_gatanegra/pseuds/mariquita_gatanegra
Summary: After the events of Lifeline, Silent Night, and Halfway to Infinity, Taylor is finally home safe.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This just in: I love Lifeline and Cadet Taylor and their cat so much and I have cried numerous times over this game. I wrote this because Taylor has suffered so much and I just want them to be home safe and they don't have to worry about almost dying every day. I love them so much.

_The surface of the moon was cracking, revealing the ominous green glow of the millions of Occupiers festering just under the moon’s crust. There was nowhere for Taylor to run. Behind them, Antoine, Trotter, Adair, and Colby were running, gaining speed. They were going to trap them. There was nowhere for Taylor to hide._

_They couldn’t escape the Occupiers. They had realized it now. There was no escaping from this fate — the fate that awaited the rest of mankind and the rest of the universe. Soon enough, the Occupiers would make it to Earth and colonize the planet. Everyone would join them, whether they wanted to or not. Like it or not, Taylor would be one of them. Taylor had no choice._

_Amidst the chaos of the shattering moon and their corrupted comrades, Taylor’s lifeline was saying something. Words ran across the screen of their comms system too fast for Taylor to read them, but they knew what was being said._ You can’t give up. Not now. You have to fight. You have to live.

 _Live for what? What was there to live for when they couldn’t even escape the green glow that was surrounding them. They didn’t want to fight the green glow. The green glow was safe. Welcoming, even. The glow wrapped around Taylor in a warm embrace._ Join us, _it beckoned._ Why fight us? You’re only stopping the inevitable.

_Taylor closed their eyes and sank to their knees. They could feel the Occupiers all around them. Swarming up their IEVA suit and slithering up past their helmet. They could feel them surround their mouth and little by little, forced their way in, and then-_

Taylor was woken up by a tail to the face. When they opened their eyes, they were met with the golden gaze of Captain Cuddles, who started purring when he realized that Taylor was awake. 

“Good morning to you too, Captain,” they chuckled. They reached up to pet him for a bit before deciding that it would probably be a good idea to get out of bed. Captain Cuddles needed to be fed, and Taylor had to get ready to start their day. Besides, there was nothing left for Taylor in bed other than nightmares and restlessness. They preferred to be awake. 

It had been years since the events of the Varia, the moon, the White Star, T2, and the black hole. It was all over. They were safe. They had graduated college and had secured a position at NASA as a part of their Biology program, and they were safe. Finally, they were safe. Even so and even after therapy and counseling, what had happened still haunted them to the point of sleepless nights and countless flashbacks. 

As soon as they were able to coax Captain Cuddles off of their chest, Taylor slid out of bed and over to the kitchen where Captain Cuddles’s food bowl waited to be filled. Captain Cuddles rubbed against Taylor’s legs as their scooped the dry food into the black cat’s bowl and set it down. They smiled when Captain Cuddles attacked his food with crunchy vigor. 

As Taylor moved through their morning routine, they tried to distract themself the best that they could. They switched off the yellow nightlight in their bedroom, made a quick breakfast of sugary cereal and a glass of milk (their current favorite sugar cereal was the honey-and-marshmallow monstrosity that came marketed for that new Disney Princess movie), showered, brushed their teeth, and got dressed. They were tempted to fire up their Keurig, but they would be getting coffee later, and as much as Taylor was useless without a morning cup of coffee, Starbucks from a barista would taste infinitely better than a Starbucks K-Cup with a guesstimated amount of creamer. 

Taylor grabbed their phone from its charger in the kitchen and unlocked it. Six new text messages and twenty three new emails waited for them. Taylor ignored all of them and opened up Spotify instead. They had a playlist set up for mornings after a nightmare. They hit play and sank onto their couch. As they relaxed to the forgettable background noise, Captain Cuddles hopped onto Taylor’s lap and started to purr. Taylor checked their watch. _9:45._ They’d have to go soon. Not so soon that they couldn’t enjoy this quiet moment, but soon enough. Taylor closed their eyes and sang along quietly to the music. 

A knock at the door snapped Taylor out of their trance. Taylor grinned and lightly nudged Captain Cuddles off of their lap. When Taylor opened the door, they were immediately greeted by a tight bear hug from their lifeline. “Hi,” they said.

“Hi,” Taylor replied. “I’ve been waiting for you.” 

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Taylor,” they grinned. “You ready to go?”

“I was born ready.”

“You were born ready to get a cup of coffee and see a movie?” Taylor’s lifeline raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.”

“Well, knowing you,” they shrugged their shoulders. “Can I say hi to Captain Cuddles before we go?”

“Sure. You know he missed you.” Taylor stood to the side while their lifeline ran over to coo over their cat. 

“Okay, I’m done now,” they said after a few moments. “Let’s go. Don’t want to miss our movie.”

Taylor nodded and grabbed their wallet and keys before ushering their lifeline out of the door and closing it behind the two of them. Their lifeline took them by the hand and pulled them along, telling Taylor about all the latest news since the last time they had seen each other along the way. And as they walked, it occurred to Taylor in the back of their mind that this was the happiest and safest they had felt in a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me at my tumblr, [@docxie](docxie.tumblr.com).


End file.
